Explore.org

Pay no attention to the fingers at the bottom of the picture

Explore.org

Plot: The site displays a series of webcams. The cameras focus on specific areas in aquariums, zoos, national parks, kennels, and animal rescue centers.

Genre: Websites, Animals

Reading Level: Suitable for all ages

Similar Titles: AnimalCams at the National Zoo, Live Web Cams at the Monterey Bay Aquariums

Personal Thoughts: The site offers an opportunity to watch live webcams about animals. The cameras are pretty relaxing, and they give a means of getting a critter "fix" when going to the zoo is not an option.

U.S. History: Pre Columbia to the New Millennium

Discovering history is fun (right?)

U.S. History: Pre Columbia to the New Millennium, produced by ushistory.org, at http://www.ushistory.org/us/index.asp

Plot: A website dedicated to all major events in U.S. history from approximately 1300 A.D. to 2000 A.D. The site provides pages leading to a brief synopsis of important historical events and concepts. It also offers links offering further information addressing common questions, important locations, notable documents, and influential individuals.

Reading Level: Complex enough for an adult, intended for middle-schoolers.

Genre: Websites, History, Geography

Personal Thoughts: The Independence Hall Association of Philadelphia produces and maintains the site, ensuring accurate and relevant information. Like many topics on the Internet, American history is prone to misunderstanding and misinformation. By utilizing scholars to write and review the information, the website allows students to access a reliable resource. Additionally, many of the links connect to government documents which, while occasionally difficult to read, can allow viewers to think critically about the events forming their society.

Wildlife Library

Aminals!

Wildlife Library, produced by the National Wildlife Association, located at
http://www.nwf.org/Wildlife/Wildlife-Library.aspx

Plot: A collection of information about the United State's wildlife. The library provides links describing the different classes of animals, as well as plant life, native to North America. Additionally, the site has pages dedicated to some of the most popular creatures, including gray wolves, bald eagles, and rainbow trout. Each page includes information about the creature's habitat, lifestyle, and appearance, as well as links to similar articles and adoption opportunities.

Genre: Websites, Animals, Biology, Science

Reading Level: Accessible and relevant to elementary-age students and tweens.

Personal Thoughts: The site is easy to navigate and attractive to view. Additionally, it provides information in an easy to read manner without appearing concending. However, it does tend to focus on famous animals, and it typically meshes less popular creatures, such as cacti and toads, under a single heading, despite the diversity of the creatures. Still, the site provides useful information, which may be especially appreciated as final projects for the school year approach.

JL8: A Webcomic

They will be giants

JL8: A Webcomic at http://jl8comic.tumblr.com/.

Plot: Everyone knows about the exploits of the Justice League. However, the team's adventures began well before its members reached adulthood. JL8: A Webcomic examines the life, trials, and times of DC's most famous characters in the third grade.

Genre: Websites, Comics

Reading Level: Due to the age of the heroes, most of the stories are pretty accessible. However, they also address common concerns of tweens, such as acceptance, popularity, and appearance, making them relevant to older readers.

Similar Titles: The Justice League

Personal Thoughts: Yale Stewart's comics are some of my favorites. They combine references to popular comics with common schoolyard concerns. The current arc, for example, focuses on familial expectations, young crushes, and concerns for others' feelings. To bring such complex concepts together, JL8 uses a highly social setting for all third graders...one of the popular girls' birthday party. The comic also utilizes classic comic styles and colors with a modern focus on expression and action. Overall, the comic, while cute, can offer a satisfactory experience for readers.

Netstate.com

Netstate.com at http://www.netstate.com/

Plot: A listing of all fifty states. Each state's page offers an overview, history of nicknames, additional resources, and state symbols (birds, flowers, fossils, gems, etc.). The pages also include links to school listings, news, and the economy.

Genre: Geography, History, Websites

Reading Level: Tween-friendly, but some aspects may be suitable for older students.

Similar Titles: 50States.com, Fact Monster: The Fifty States

Personal Thoughts: Easily one of the most inclusive and accessible state resources. Many popular topics, such as state birds, include additional pages explaining the reason for the state's choice as well as basic information about the object. A very useful resource for history and geography reports. 

Kids' Corner: Animals

Kids' Corner: Animals at http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/content/animals/kidscorner/classification/kc_classification_main.htm

Plot: The site presents easily understood information about animal biology. The site leads to image-heavy pages describing mammals, amphibians, birds, fish, and reptiles, as well as information on special topics, such as warm versus cold blooded. An easy introduction to animal classification.

Genre: Animals, Websites

Reading Level: Grades 3-6

Similar Titles: Kidzone: Animal Classes, Science Learning: Living Things - Families

Personal Thoughts: The website is a friendly way of assisting students with initial lessons on animal classification.

American President: A Reference Resource

American President: A Reference Resource at http://millercenter.org/president

Plot: A website presented by the Miller Center through the University of Virgina. The site lists all 42 presidents of the United States. Selecting a president leads to basic information and a portrait, but also links to biographies, images, and fellow leaders during the presidency.

Genre: History, websites

Reading Level: Aimed at adults; however most of the information is comprehensible to tweens.

Similar Titles: The Presidents: The White House

Personal Thoughts: A good resource for tweens with U.S. History reports. 

Marvel Comics Database

Marvel Database at http://marvel.wikia.com/Main_Page

Plot: Marvel fans unite to create this comprehensive site describing the franchise's characters, worlds, storylines, and volumes. The character pages include histories, powers, relationships, and trivia, as well as links to alternate reality characters (note to new readers, nearly every Marvel hero/villain/anti-hero has a counterpart in another universe/dimension with similar costumes, different backstories, and occasional zombification). Major comics, such as The Avengers, also enjoy pages following arcs with links to specific characters and volume synopses. The site includes extensive information in an easily-accessible manner.

Genre: Websites, Comics, Graphic Novel

Reading Level: Some of the more recent comics address "mature" themes, such as violence, rape, and death, so warn sensitive viewers.

Similar Titles: Marvel Universe Wiki, Marvel.com

Personal Thoughts: While I normal caution against unofficial wikis, the fan-based site offers some of the most accessible and comprehensive information about Marvel Comics. The site acknowledges the confusing multiverse of the comics without becoming irritating or dismissive. As a result, new readers can quickly navigate the site to gain an understanding of complex storylines or characters.

The San Diego Zoo's Panda Cam

The San Diego Zoo's Panda Cam. http://www.sandiegozoo.org/pandacam/index.html

Plot: The San Diego Zoo's live feed from the panda enclosure. In addition to the online camera, the site offers information about the pandas at the zoo and in the wild.

Genre: Websites, Animals

Reading Level: Some of the descriptions about panda breeding in the zoo's blog may be unsuitable for sensitive readers, but the rest of the page should cause no problems.

Similar Titles: Giant Pandas at the National Zoo, Panda Cam - Memphis Zoo

Personal Thoughts: The San Diego Zoo produced a welcoming website. The camera works much more quickly than other zoo's and the surrounding images, borders, and buttons offer very appealing visuals. Unfortunately, the overall presentation of information lacks somewhat, since the page presents facts with simple text on a simple background. Also, the information does not go into the depths other zoos, most notably the National Zoo, achieve. Still, for quick information and cute panda images, the site remains highly useful.

Smithsonian National Zoological Park: Giant Pandas

Smithsonian National Zoological Park: Giant Pandas.http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/GiantPandas/default.cfm?cam=LP1

Plot: The National Zoo's dedicated several webpages to the giant panda. Links lead to pages offering the life histories, pictures, and news about the zoo's breeding pair of pandas. Additional pages include information about panda conservation, facts, and frequently asked questions.

Genre: Websites, Animals

Reading Level: Not Rated, but some of the terms and concepts may be confusing to some readers.

Similar Titles: San Diego Zoo.org, Zoo Atlanta Panda Cam

Personal Thoughts: The site is one of the best I found about pandas. The pages offers effective navigation, solid information, and pleasing visuals. The Kid's Page appears unsuitable for tweens, but it will appeal to younger viewers. My only complaint comes from the panda cam. The site advertises a live feed from the pandas' exhibit, but I have not been able to find it. Otherwise, the site remains highly recommended.

Yahoo! Answers

Yahoo! Answers at http://answers.yahoo.com/.

Plot: A question and answer forum provided by Yahoo!. Members are allowed to ask and answer questions. To encourage responses, rewards are offered through a point system.

Genre: Question and Answer, Websites

Reading Level: Users must provide a name, valid e-mail account, and other information. As such, younger users may need caution before using. Also, answers are not edited for terms or content, so be aware.

Personal Thoughts: The site was a major disappointment. Review the criteria:


1. Accuracy (+1) +1...sort of. While the answers were accurate, they were extremely vague.
2. Direction to further information (other sites, books, etc.) (+1 per resource) + 0
3. Speed of response (+1 if given within 24 hours) +1

Points will be taken away for:

1. Inaccuracy (-1) -1; see response to accuracy.
2. Joke, troll, or unrelated responses (-1 per response) -1
3. Direction to Wikipedia (-1) + 0

Yahoo!Answers is a free site with free responses. While the point system encourages accurate responses, "answerers" that continue to offer poor responses are in no way limited or punished, diminishing the quality of answers. Additionally, users are not required (or encouraged) to verify information or provide links to their sources. As such, the site is more of a "use at your own risk" rather than a reliable resource.

Answers.com

Answers.com, or WikiAnswers, at http://www.answers.com/.

Plot: According to the site, it is a wiki-based question and answer website. While some aspects of the site behave like a browser, the Answers.com community also shares information, opinions, and insight to popular questions.

Genre: Wiki, Websites

Reading Level: No limits or censorship, so approach like any other open website.

Personal Thoughts: The site actually provided an answer for my question, so let's measure it according to the criteria:


1. Accuracy (+1) + 1 point
2. Direction to further information (other sites, books, etc.) (+1 per resource) + 4 points
3. Speed of response (+1 if given within 24 hours) + 1 point (instant response)

Points will be taken away for:

1. Inaccuracy (-1)
2. Joke, troll, or unrelated responses (-1 per response)
3. Direction to Wikipedia (-1) -1 did link to Wikipedia page

So, on the whole, the site earned 5 points, particularly due to links to other sources, quick responses, and accurate information. As such, I confidently recommend this source to students.

Ask Kids

Ask Kids at askkids.com.

Plot: A web browser made for addressing questions asked by children. This site is a branch of the famous Ask.com.

Genre: Web Browser, Websites

Personal Thoughts: The site is a study in the issues surrounding censorship. When I typed in my question, "What is a qat?" the site replied it could not find an answer. By contrast, when I typed in the same question with the same terminology into the "adult" version, I received over ten pages of relevant websites. Perhaps the reason for the difference stems from the fact that a qat is a shrub occasionally used as a narcotic. While children need to be protected, eliminating potential resources does not serve them well. In addition, merely accessing a new browser would still permit access to the information, so the limitations do not actually provide the implied protection. Kids can and will, intentionally or not, find loopholes through censorship, so limiting a particular resource will not prevent "undesirable" information from being found.

AskColorado

AskColorado. http://www.askcolorado.org/general/index.html.

Plot: The AskColorado website, provided by the Colorado State Library, offers realtime question and answer sessions with librarians to residents of Colorado. Additionally, it provides information about Colorado to people outside of the state.

Genre: Realtime Chat, Websites

Reading Level: While the site is available to all users, it requires the user to provide a name and his or her location. Guardians of younger users may need to caution or observe their charges when personal information is required.

Personal Thoughts: Using this website was a lesson in reading a product's description before making demands. As mentioned, the site is built for the residents and information of Colorado, so my location and question did not correspond to the librarian's ability to assist. That said, she was polite and helpfully directed me to a site that allowed me to use my local library's resources. So, while the experiment was not applicable to this situation, I would definitely recommend the site to Colorado locals. For non-locals like me, just type in "realtime librarian (your city's name)" in your favorite web browser to find an ideal site.

Club Penguin

http://www.clubpenguin.com/


Plot: The site provides an online interaction experience for elementary students and tweens. Thanks to strict controls (and cute penguin avatars) the users' identities are well-protected as visitors explore, play games, and participate in online activities.

Genre: Websites, Social Networks, Penguins

Reading Level: Aimed at 6-14 year-olds.

Similar Titles: This is tricky, since most other social networks (Facebook and MySpace) tend to be aimed at adults.

Personal Thoughts: While children's online interactions must be carefully monitored, this appears to be a fairly safe method of introducing kids to social networks. Their identities are kept fairly secret and interactions can be expanded or limited via parental controls.

To receive various additions to the site (for example, costumes or items) additional fees are required.

This site has sparked the development of various items, such as trading cards, plush toys, and video games.

Batman Wiki

Batman Wiki. http://batman.wikia.com/wiki/Batman_Wiki

Plot: A wiki-based reference site for all things Batman. Individual series, episodes, and characters find there own pages, developed and edited by the community participating in the site.

Genre: Website, Batman

Reading Level: Anyone can edit the site. Use appropriate caution.

Similar Titles: Batman The Animated Series, DC Comics: Batman

Personal Thoughts: I normally avoid wikis, since, by nature, anyone can write anything, authentic, verified, cannon, or otherwise. As such, they are usually questionable resources. That said, with a fanbase as strong and determined as Batman's, any misinformation will be quickly addressed (if not flat out attacked), so this may be a reliable source. Most of the pages I viewed were well-sited and clearly presented. Additionally, the site presents new information, particularly regarding the upcoming Dark Knight Rises film.

Ask A Ninja

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ask_ninja.png

Ask A Ninja

Plot: Everyone knows about ninjas...or do they? The "Ask A Ninja" Ninja attempts to reveal the power, awesomeness, and pop culture savvy of ninjas every week through his vblogs/podcasts/videos. Users are invited to ask the ninja questions about ninjas, family, social situations, politics, and more to get direct answers from the man in the black mask. Expect hyberboles, obscure references, and mythical mash-ups on a weekly basis. Also, the ninja has varied his usual blog, adding interviews, "The Stare" (a review of the week's news and popular YouTube videos), and "Ninja Movie Show" (the ninja's methodical links between the week's movies, both on screen and in video).

Genre: Website, Ninjas, Humor

Reading Level: Usually pretty clean, but occasionally some language, so sensitive viewers may need caution.

Similar Titles: I usually do not follow podcasts, so I am not sure. Leave a comment if you know of a good one.

Personal Thoughts: This is the website that made ninjas wonderful for me. I just love how over-the-top the ninja is.

Side note: I tried a mirror shot for this picture. I'm not sure if I'll try again.

Edit: The photo just did not work. So I replaced it with a screenshot from Wiki Commons.

WorldBook Online

WorldBook Online can be purchased, but most public libraries allow access through their websites to cardholders.

Plot: A world-renouned reference source. The online version offers options for children as well as tweens and teens. Users can search for specific scientific, geographic, cultural, and historical terms in the online encyclopedia. Each page describes the topic thoroughly and often with links to similar topics. In addition, the pages usually display colorful and comprehensive graphics. Also, the lower portion of the pages include tips for citing the resource for reports or papers.

Genre: Reference

Reading Level: 8-14

Similar Titles: Encyclopedia Brittanica Online

Personal Thoughts: Whenever I needed to do a report in Middle School, I loved referencing WorldBook. The text just seemed cleaner and clearer than the dusty encyclopedias aimed at adults. While I eventually graduated to the more complex versions, WorldBook still manages to provide relevant information in a highly appealing matter.

Disney XD

Disney XD presented by the Disney Channel. Retrieved from http://disney.go.com/disneyxd/

Plot: The webpage describes and advertises Disney XD, an aspect of Disney aimed at male tweens. As part of the Disney Channel's Internet presence, Disney XD enjoys the best marketing can offer. The page displays colorful and often animated displays, buttons, and options. In addition, users can access games, create personal avatars, and watch videos of shows offered by Disney XD. In addition, the page links to other webpages, including ones regarding more popular shows, such as Phineas and Ferb, The Avengers, and Naruto.

Genre: Website

Reading Level: Most shows are rated TV-Y7 or TV-G

Similar Titles: Naruto Shippuden, Nickelodeon website

Personal Thoughts: The site enjoys high potential. Not only does it offer information about the channel, it also gives users an opportunity to socialize and play online in the relative safety of a Disney-based website. In addition, it does offer clips and full episodes of more popular shows, allowing users without cable to still enjoy them. However, the massive advertisements, particularly in the form of commercials during the videos, can be disconcerting. Also, navigating to particular programs tends to be a lengthy and frustrating endeavor.